10 Things I Think You Need To Know for Nov. 9 ....

11-9-2015

1) My take on last Tuesday's election (not all that original, but true, I believe):

a) Increasingly sour opinions of the Obama Administration in our state influenced the vote. b) Matt Bevin ran a much more energetic campaign than did Jack Conway, who, for instance, would never agree to come speak to a Kyndle audience, neither at an event nor even in a simple conference call with our board and councils, so that they could hear his platform first-hand. Bevin, meanwhile, was very accommodating. If communities and organizations around the state had that same experience, well .... c) The name recognition of Andy Beshear and Alison Lundergan Grimes helped them avoid the GOP avalanche.

d) The passage of the Nickel Tax is heartening for this community. Also, many folks who signed the petition to send the tax to a referendum apparently didn't bother to vote last Tuesday.

2) Speaking of taxes, as members of the Henderson County Fiscal Court and citizens learn more about the implications of the proposed occupational/net profits taxes, opinions about the fairest way forward are changing. That is complicated by the fact the new taxes have already had a first reading. Will that mean the magistrates will tear up the existing ordinance and start over? As my friend Ron Jenkins would say, stay tuned.

4) Back in 2012, Atlanta-based consulting firm The Shapiro Group published a survey that showed chamber membership was a highly desirable affiliation both for businesses and their customers. A nugget: When consumers know that a small business is a member of the chamber of commerce, they are 49% more likely to think favorably of it and 80% more likely to purchase goods or services from the company in the future.

5) Site Selection Magazine is out with its annual ranking of the business climates of all 50 states. Kentucky is now third! Here's the list:

6) The UK Extension Office in McLean County & the McLean County Chamber of Commerce will co-host its second annual Harvest Breakfast at 7 a.m. on Nov. 25 at Buck Creek Baptist Church near Calhoun. Several farm awards will be given out. To RSVP call the extension office at (270) 273-3690 or email cary.hicks@uky.com.

7) The Murray State Small Business Development Center, Workforce Solutions at Henderson Community College and United Community Bank are teaming up to host a free informational symposium this Thursday for entrepreneurs and small business owners in Webster County. It'll be held at Webb Memorial United Methodist Church in Clay and starts at 8:30 a.m. Here's a flyer with more information:

8) The TrelleborgVibracoustic plant in Morganfield is hiring. A job fair is planned this Wednesday.

9) Be sure not to miss Kyndle's annual Education Celebration breakfast this Thursday at the Thelma B. Johnson Early Learning Center. Thanks to Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union for sponsoring our yearly ode to the importance of education in our community.